As Clemens coach Robyn Wunderlich-Ellis viewed things, she realized there was little difference between her team this season and the one a year ago.

Most of the team’s roster returned, led by the 1-2 attacking duo of Lauren Teske and Shelby O’Neal, setter Mackenzie Miller and libero Alexa Ruiz. Perhaps the biggest component the Buffaloes possessed Monday in their Class 6A bidistrict match was more intangible than tangible - revenge.

O’Neal, a sophomore outside hitter, racked up 32 kills as Clemens rallied past Brandeis 17-25, 25-23, 25-16, 25-22 at Littleton Gym in a rematch of a 2016 first-round encounter in which Brandeis won in five sets en route to advancing to the Region IV-6A final.

The Buffaloes (40-5), who recorded what is believed to be their first postseason triumph since defeating McCollum in the first round in 1997, will play either Reagan or Austin Lake Travis in the second round.

“There’s a lot of these kids who played last year that wanted some payback,” Wunderlich-Ellis said after Clemens became the 13th area school to record a 40-win season. “I’m definitely happy that we came out on top.”

The Buffaloes’ win, though, was far from easy. Clemens lost the first set as Brandeis (32-12) never trailed as setter Emily DeWalt engineered a balanced offense led by Maya Smalls (13 kills), Selby Draker and Chidera Ugwokaegbe.

“It was almost like we felt kind of helpless,” O’Neal said of the first set. “But we came back in, we came together as a team, and stuck together. I think everyone prepared really well and everyone had the mindset of we need to come in here and finish business.”

O’Neal led the way. The Texas A&M commit had 28 kills after the first set, including back-to-back kills to close out the second set and another to end the contest in the fourth after Brandeis erased five match points.

“I never thought we had a comfortable lead, not until it’s 25,” Wunderlich-Ellis said. “We have learned a lot this year and there is no way that there should‘ve been anybody comfortable until that last point was scored.”